President's Thank You to Community Leaders

Welcome! Your United Way
enjoys volunteer leadership second to none. Debbie Burdett of Mosaic,
Jerome Ferson of The Ledger, Dave MacDougall of Winter Haven Hospital,
Weymon Snuggs of Citizens Bank & Trust, Ed Vogel of Holland & Knight,
and Peggy Threlkel of Girls Inc., all traveled to Washington DC to take
part in the United Way Worldwide Community Leaders Conference.

The first afternoon was filled
with Legislative visits. Our group was extremely grateful to visit
with Adam Putnam, a former United Way Young Professional.

Later, we literally crossed
paths in front of the Capitol with Clayton Hollis of Publix as he went
about his government affairs business. A short visit to The Florida
House provided a comfortable place to rest our aching feet. We were
excited to learn that one of the most generous supporters of the Florida
House, Sarah McKay, was recently recognized by the Governor as a “Great
Floridian.”

Keynote speakers included
Michelle Rhee, Chancellor of the District of Columbia Public Schools and
Geoffrey Canada of Harlem Children’s Zone, who affirmed our local
emphasis on early education. Whether in our Nation’s Capitol, Harlem or
Central Florida, success in life is fueled by the ability to process
complex thoughts into language.

Hearing about Womens’
Initiatives energized Debbie to brainstorm possibilities for our
community. Jerome became determined to maximize the benefit of
technology as he Chairs the 2010 Campaign. Weymon recognized the need to
formalize a Customer Relationship plan and is willing to help put one on
paper. Ed and Dave will work together to transition from Dave’s Board
Chairmanship to Ed’s. And Peggy mentioned the pride she feels toward
our local United Way’s relationship with our partners.

We came home inspired and proud
of our United Way. We thank you for your leadership and your spirit of
giving. You make our community a great place to live, work, and raise a
family!